The Iranian diaspora is preparing for a massive mobilization in Paris on 20 June, which will mark the 45th anniversary of the start of the nationwide resistance against the clerical regime and is recognized as the Day of Martyrs and Political Prisoners in Iran.
The rally, in which more than 100,000 will participate, serves as a call for urgent international action in response to a recent surge in political executions and as a demand for the establishment of a democratic republic. A diverse assembly of lawmakers, former senior officials, and policy experts from across the Atlantic will take part in the major protest.
The clerical regime has initiated a wave of executions against political prisoners at a rate not witnessed in the past three decades. This crackdown is specifically focused on members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), the primary Iranian resistance movement. In just the past few weeks, two dozen dissidents have been executed, including eight PMOI members. With eleven other PMOI members currently on death row and more death sentences expected, international human rights organizations and UN officials have expressed concern regarding the regime’s conduct.
Beyond organized resistance members, the victims include young protesters and sports champions arrested during the January 2026 uprising. Tens of thousands were detained during that period, and the fate of many remains unknown. Activists believe the regime is using state-sanctioned killings to instill fear and prevent another nationwide revolt that could lead to its overthrow.
The protesters will also express support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition that has spent four decades advocating for human rights and a secular government.
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI for the transitional period, has articulated a comprehensive Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s future, which has gained significant international backing. This plan commits to fundamental democratic principles: free and fair elections, the total separation of religion and state, gender equality, and the protection of minority rights. Crucially, it advocates for the abolition of capital punishment and the dismantling of the regime’s nuclear program, favoring peaceful relations with the West and regional neighbors over the current regime’s belligerence.
The geopolitical landscape has shifted significantly since the outbreak of hostilities involving the United States and Israel on February 28. The Iranian regime has exploited this external conflict as a pretext to intensify domestic repression. However, observers and opposition groups argue that foreign war has not resolved the multi-faceted crisis within Iran.
The NCRI maintains that both foreign military confrontation and long-standing policies of diplomatic appeasement have failed to bring change in Iran. They argue for a third path: a solution aligned with the Iranian people’s repeated rejection of both the former Pahlavi monarchy and the current theocracy.
By announcing a provisional government on February 28, the NCRI has signaled its readiness to manage Iran’s affairs during a transitional phase and to ensure the country reaches its first free elections.
The massive rally in Paris will underscore the growing international consensus that the path to peace lies in supporting the Iranian people’s quest for a democratic republic.
